Board Social Media Guide

Social Media is a powerful tool that has the potential to promote your organization and your mission to more people. However, what many people get wrong about social media is that while it’s a convenient way to get your message out there, it does still take strategy, planning, and teamwork to make sure your messages are seen by the right people at the right time. One of the easiest ways to make your social media content more powerful is to recruit Social Media Champions who will like, share, and post their own content on behalf of your organization.

When you post something on social media, it is only seen by those who already subscribe to your organization. However, when someone other than your organization interacts with that content, or creates and shares content of their own, your reach can expand exponentially! Your board members should be passionate about your mission and excited to help you promote 35 Hours of Giving. Using these tips and sample messages, your board members can help you have an even greater impact during 35 Hours of Giving!

Social Media Tips

Share the story of why this organization matters to you and why you are passionate about their mission. People respond better to someone’s personal experience than a generic ask. Pull at their heartstrings and show them why this is a cause worth caring about.

Put your money where your mouth is! If you are already planning on donating to your organization during 35 Hours of Giving, consider setting some of that money aside to motivate your network to take part in the fun. Offer to donate $10 for every share one of your social media posts gets - or for every new donor that makes a donation! Get creative and have fun!

Whenever the organization you are supporting posts content on their social media page, you can help to make that post go the extra mile by liking it or sharing it with your own friends. It’s a quick and easy way to make sure more people are seeing those messages and learning how they can support their mission.

Collaborate with other Social Media Champions! Interacting with other board members or supporters on social media can be a great way to have an organic conversation about your organization that also promotes your cause and your participation in #35HoursofGiving! Don’t be afraid to use that @mention to promote a little friendly competition either!

Set a weekly quota for yourself to make sure that you’re staying connected and helping your organization reach their goals. Our team of fundraising experts recommends at least one original post every week as well as several likes and shares to make sure that no one misses a beat this 35 Hours of Giving!

Don’t forget to use #hashtags in your posts! Hashtags are a great way to be a part of the conversation and get your message out there to more people. Whether it’s #hashtags that represent your cause like #animals #literacy or #hunger or #hashtags that promote the event #giving #fundraising #donate or #nonprofits - using hashtags is the perfect way to engage with more people throughout the great social network!

Sample Social Media Posts

Facebook ▼

Twitter ▼

Instagram ▼

Click one of the social media icons above to see tips, tricks, and sample posts for each of these social media platforms

Facebook Tips

Looking to get the word out with Facebook? This guide will help you get started and on the road to creating a successful strategy.

Below is a list of ways you can begin engaging your community for 35 Hours of Giving!

Talk it up! Post interesting information about the organization that you are supporting and share success stories and photos. Ask your followers questions to engage them in dialogue. Remember to keep posts brief! You don’t want to lose your audience by presenting lengthy updates.

Tell everyone that the organization that you are supporting is a part of 35 Hours of Giving. Be sure to tell people what it is all about. Let them know how they can donate and ask them to spread the word as well.

Create a Facebook event. Invite your constituents to be part of 35 Hours of Giving so that they can be reminded as the day gets closer AND see who else is participating. Also, tell people to invite others. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are hosting an event onsite; the whole event is worth celebration!

Sample Facebook Posts

  • On May 3-4, I am proud to support [ORG NAME] in #35HoursofGiving in an effort to raise awareness for [YOUR CAUSE/MISSION] and make a positive impact on the capital region. Join me in making a difference!
  • On May 3-4, I will be joining [ORG NAME] to celebrate #35HoursofGiving - an exciting day for our community to recognize all of the amazing work nonprofits do and the impact they have on the capital region and beyond! Head to 35hours.ourcommunity.org to learn more.
  • Have you liked [ORG NAME] on Facebook yet? If you haven’t, you’re missing out! With #35HoursofGiving right around the corner you’ll want to check out their page to see the impact supporters will have on [CAUSE/MISSION] and our community.
  • Save the date! May 3-4 is #35HoursofGiving and I can’t wait to support [ORG NAME] and all of the great work they do for the capital region.
  • Still don’t know which organizations to support on #35HoursofGiving? I’ve got a few ideas for you! Check out [ORG NAME] to see all of the incredible ways your contribution will have an impact on the capital region for the #35HoursofGiving on May 3-4!
  • Friends, with only [X TIME] until #35HoursofGiving, will you join me in supporting [ORG NAME] on May 3-4? Every dollar makes a difference in [MISSION/CAUSE]. Help me and [ORG NAME] make the capital region a better place!
  • #35HoursofGiving is here! Over the next 35 hours, the capital region will come together to support all of the incredible nonprofits in our community. Today I am proud to support [ORG NAME] and help them promote their mission and have a greater impact on the capital region.
  • Wow! [ORG NAME] has already raised [X AMOUNT] during #35HoursofGiving! With only [X AMOUNT] hours left - will you help them reach [# OF DONORS GOAL/AMOUNT RAISED GOAL] by 6 PM on May 4? Every contribution today has a direct impact on [CAUSE/MISSION]!

Twitter Tips

Want to quickly engage donors and share information about your fundraising efforts? Twitter is instant and efficient!

Below you will find a few tips to help you have success.

Follow @@CommunityFound_’s Twitter account.

Tell your followers that you are fundraising for 35 Hours of Giving. Tell your followers about the specific organization that you support and begin to build a story around that. Use some of the suggested tweets provided below.

Use #hashtags and @handles. Whenever you share information include the @@CommunityFound_ handle and #35HoursofGiving to further spread the word. Show that you are a part of 35 Hours of Giving by using the hashtag in all of your tweets.

Don’t just follow! Become a part of the conversation. Let people know that you are out there and engaged. Respond to tweets like you are holding a conversation. You never know where this may lead.

Share pictures, videos, and interesting content. Twitter is not just about your ‘words’. Pictures and videos draw people in, and sharing interesting articles about what you and others are doing shows that you are part of a community.

Tweet, retweet and tweet again (especially during 35 Hours of Giving)!

Sample Twitter Posts

  • Follow [@ ORG NAME] on twitter for live updates throughout #35HoursofGiving!
  • I am proud to support [@ ORG NAME] on #35HoursofGiving to help them make a difference in the capital region!
  • Do you care about [CAUSE]? Support [@ORG NAME] on #35HoursofGiving!
  • I can’t wait to support [@ORG NAME] on May 3-4 for #35HoursofGiving! Will you join me in making a difference?
  • Help [@ ORG NAME] reach their goal of [GOAL] by giving on #35HoursofGiving!
  • How much good can a community do in 35 hours? Find out on May 3-4 for #35HoursofGiving!
  • Don’t forget to head to 35hours.ourcommunity.org to support [@ORG NAME] during #35HoursofGiving!

Instagram Tips

Looking to harness the power of visual communication? Take advantage of the ability to communicate with potential supporters with impactful images and catchy captions.

Follow @communityfound_ on Instagram.

Connect your Instagram and Facebook accounts. Make sure that your Instagram posts are automatically posted on Facebook. Connecting Facebook and Instagram harnesses the power of both social media platforms at once and allows you to reach a wider audience.

Find powerful images. People-centric, positive images will help you draw in new followers. Focus on sharing images that speak to your organization’s mission and your target audience. Canva.com is a great way to take your own photographs or a stock image to the next level. If you want to include important dates, statistics, or quotes, Canva lets you add text right on top of the image as well as provides you with a suite of photo editing tools.

Socialize! Like other supporters’ posts, and consider re-sharing posts that stand out and speak to your cause. Showcasing the stories and individuals that propel the mission of 35 Hours of Giving will help you gain more followers, recognition, and traction in advance of 35 Hours of Giving.

Use #35HoursofGiving, in addition to other creative hashtags. 2-3 hashtags per post is the sweet spot. Start with a branded or specific hashtag - like a tagline or fun phrase. Follow this with the name of the organization that you support, then a broader hashtag tied to the cause (i.e., #spreadingthelove). Having a succession of hashtags helps with branding!

Create a regular schedule for posting. We recommend posting at least 2-3 times per week to stay in your followers' feeds! If you integrate your Instagram posts with Facebook, you’ll want to consider how your Instagram posts will fit in with your other scheduled Facebook posts. Consider making posts that show a chronological history of your organization, if applicable.

Have fun! Instagram is a really playful platform, and the perfect opportunity to let the unique personalities, humor, and convictions of your organization shine through your photos, captions, and hashtags! Instagram is a fantastic opportunity to relate to your supporters, showing them who you are and what you stand for.